Paranoia
by Ashgirl195
Summary: Bella's father is dead. Her mother was killed. And now, according to mysterious notes that have been popping up, she's next. Follow the characters as they discover why this good girl is at the top of an underground hit list. AH, Some OOC, AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, this is a new story that just kind of struck me. I have no idea how I came up with the idea, but it really hit me and I decided to type it up.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, just this story :-)**

_Chapter 1- Breaking Point_

I was strolling through the corner store, browsing the shelves full of useless junk that people bought for no reason. Sure, to any normal person I looked pretty calm. But on the inside, I was flipping out.

You could say I'm paranoid, but I'm paranoid with good reason. Everyone has a reason to be paranoid with SOMETHING. Even if it's just being paranoid about a bee landing on your arm, and deciding to sting you.

Well, that wasn't the best comparison to my current state of mind. But I could care less. I had other things to worry about. Plenty of things.

I grabbed a Diet Coke and stumbled to the make-shift check out counter, run by a group of three angry looking Mexicans. The one standing closest to the cash register spotted me, and positioned himself behind the register to ring up my items. I put on the best smile I could, and handed him the bottle. A loud _beep_ rang through the store as he scanned the barcode across the soda.

"Will that be all?" the man asked, his voice heavy with Mexican accent.

I only nodded in response, scared that if I talked I would break down into a fitting mess of screams and tears. The cashier told me the price of the soda, and I just handed him two dollar bills, walking out and yelling over my shoulder for him to keep the change.

The heavy and humid Pheonix air smacked me in the face as soon as I stepped out the doors. I took several deep breaths, trying to calm myself and forget about the note I had found stuck to my backpack that morning.

It wasn't the kind of situation you would tell someone about, mostly because they would stick you right into a mental hospital without another thought about it.

Or maybe that was just me thinking the worst, as I did often these days. Either way, I wasn't telling anyone about this, unless it was a matter of life or death.

I was beginning to think it was getting close to that.

I cringed and put the Diet Coke bottle to my forehead, trying to cool down the heat wave of fear washing over me. The soda did little to help, though. I still felt like I could faint at any moment. Or hypervenilate and then faint.

I was a wreck- and I looked like one too. My jeans were ripped up at the bottom and there were holes of varying sizes all around. The shirt I was wearing used to be a blouse- now it was just a battered up shirt with the sleeves ripped off and dirt patches all down the front and back. My shoes- okay, actually I had no shoes. They got stuck in the mud and I just didn't have the strength to pull them out. My hair was in a wild brown disarray, fanning out from my face in every direction.

I spotted a rubber band on the pavement a few feet ahead of me. Picking it up, I decided I would pull my hair into a messy ponytail. It made me look that much less like a crazy person.

Well, maybe I was a crazy person. I was only hoping I wasn't.

I continued to walk along the pavement of a back road in the neighborhood in which I currently resided.

_You won't be residing here for much longer._ The paranoid voice in my head warned me.

This thought just made me freak out more. My eyes stung with tears threatening to spill over. I brought my arm up to press fiercly against my eyes, trying to dry the tears before they were even shed. I couldn't let people see me cry, it would just be even more of an embarrassment to my current state.

Yea, I shouldn't care about embarrassment at this point. I was way past feeling embarrassed about things. Because things- even though I don't know how, when, or where - were about to get alot worse. That is, if the people writing the notes aren't bluffing. Because so far they haven't.

I kept walking aimlessly along the backroads and alleys of my neighborhood, looking to find solace in something- anything.

I walked past a lonely looking tree as a wind rushed past me. In the midst of the wind, I heard the fluttering of paper. I looked around for the source of the fluttering, and my eyes locked on a small piece of paper attatched to the lonely tree. A sticky note.

A note.

I took a large intake of breath as I walked slowly towards the sticky note attatched to the tree. My fingers trembled furiously as I reached for the tiny piece of paper, writing etched into it.

Right as I was going to read it, a figure appeared in the corner of my eye close to one of the cars parked in the alley. I glanced over to see someone leaning leisurely against the car in a long black trenchcoat and black hat, shadowing his face. The only thing on his face you could see was his mouth.

And it was arranged into an evil, shit-eating grin.

I screamed and clutched my hand around the note, sprinting off in the other direction. I ran four or five blocks before I slowed down, coming to a small field with trees spotting the area. I stumbled over to one of the trees and sat down, my back against the trunk. I leaned my head back, taking about a million deep breaths before I finally remember the tiny piece of paper clutched in my right hand.

I shakily uncurled my fingers to find I left fingernail marks in my palm. My left hand came and plucked the curled up ball out of my palm, while my right hand carefully unfolded it. It was terribly wrinkled, but the words on it were still clear as day.

**You were lucky this time. But someone else wasn't...**

As soon as I finished reading the word _wasn't_ my phone rang in my pocket. I slid the phone from it's position in my torn up jeans and glanced at the caller ID: Mom.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I flipped the phone open and spoke into it. "Hi Mom." I said, trying to sound as casual as humanly possible.

I heard a low chuckle on the other end. A chuckle too low to come from my mother. I felt my eyes sting again and started to see spots of blue and red.

_"Your mother wasn't as lucky as you were today, Bella..."_ came a husky voice. I gasped sharply as the caller hung up the phone.

It was then that I realized this situation was turning out to be more serious than I could imagine.

I wasn't being stalked.

I was being hunted.

**A/N: So....hit or miss? Please review and tell me what you think, and if I should continue this story. I really want to hear your opinions, they give me the will to keep writing.**

**~Ashleyy**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer- Hmm let me check......nope I still don't own Twilight. Only this story.**

**A/N-So, just remember, this story is rated M for a reason.**

**And thank you to my lovely beta! ****Truth in the Moon**

_Chapter 2- Distractions_

I felt my entire body tremble as I tried to find my way back to my house. Tears blurred my vision, making it even harder to put one foot in front of the other. I had no idea what I was going to do if there was a stranger still at my house, but all I knew was that I had to get there. Now.

I endlessly tripped over nothing on the sidewalk. People started to stare, and honestly I couldn't blame them. A wretched, crazy looking woman stumbling through the streets with a waterfall of tears falling from her face? Yeah, I would have stared too.

Somehow I ended up on my front yard. I guess my subconscious knew where I was going. I didn't think it was possible, considering my current situation. My hands shook furiously as I stared at the front of the house that my mom and I shared together. The bricks surrounding the garage and another section of the house seemed to darken as I took a shaky step towards the dark green door.

My fingers lingered on the doorknob, not wanting to see what happened to my mother. Eventually my foot nudged the door open, since my fingers refused to do the job. I inched forward slowly, leaning around each corner and wall. There was no one in the living room or the kitchen. I inched toward the other side of the house where the bathroom and our two bedrooms were. I gasped when I saw a line of blood connecting the bathroom and Renee's bedroom. My eyes filled with water again as I desperately tried gripping the wall for support. I pulled myself towards the bathroom, bile rising in my throat in preparation for what I would see. I leaned around the threshold and peeked in.

There was blood coating the bathroom sink, and a puddle on the floor in front of it. The trail of blood started from the puddle, leading out of the bathroom, down the hall, and into my mother's room. I kept my hands on the wall, following the deadly trail of blood. When I was inches away from Renee's bedroom door, I leaned against the wall and leaned sideways, peering into the room.

I screamed.

Renee, bleeding and so...broken, laid sprawled out on her bed. She was surrounded by blood soaking into the sheets. I inched closer, whimpering with each step towards her. There was a, long gash across her stomach, blood trailing from it down the side and into the sheets. Her mouth was bloody, along with her nose and forearms. Her eyes and neck were bruised. My hand came up to cover my mouth, I really was about to throw up.

I walked a little closer, inspecting the damage. To say she was banged up would be the understatement of the year. Scratch that. The understatement of the century.

I whimpered again, my tears starting to splash against the ground.

She wasn't just banged up.

She was dead.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The office was cold. I would say it was empty, but it wasn't. The hallway outside the office was bustling with cops and detectives, trying to figure out who killed Renee and why. They would never find the killer, he was too stealthy. Even though he brutally killed Renee, he could clean his tracks well. I should know. He's been watching me for the past two months.

In fact, he was probably watching me right now. Here, in this cold detective's office. Where I sat in a big leather chair facing a cherry wooden desk, with my knees pulled up to rest my chin on, and my arms locked around my ankles.

I stared endlessly at the desk in front of me, with a swivel chair sitting peacefully behind it. I hated being alone like this. But I had been alone for the past two months. I had to be alone. I couldn't drag someone down with me.

Yet my mother was dead.

And I was still being watched.

This kind of thing shouldn't happen to me. I had lived a simple life. Just Renee and I, fending for ourselves. We did pretty damn good, too. We had a great house, perfect for just the two of us. She worked for the local newspaper, made enough to pay the bills and then some. I always did well in school, top of my class, maybe second. A job wasn't necessary for me, but I had one anyway. I wanted to work. Even though it was a minimum wage job on a small horse ranch, I loved it. When the day was over and all the lessons were done, the owner of the ranch would let me take one of the horses out riding. My favorite horse was Pebbles. He was a medium brown thoroughbred with a gorgeous dark brown mane, along with his tail. A small white spot sat between his eyes, right before where his mane started. He was so calm and loving; I looked forward to seeing him every day at work.

I was ripped out of my thoughts by the sound of a doorknob turning and footsteps. I slowly turned my head to see a tall blonde man too good-looking to be working in law enforcement in a black suit and red tie standing in the doorway. He held a thick folder in his left hand, his right hand in his pocket. My gaze met his and he smiled genuinely. I tried to pull a smile together, but I'm pretty sure it just came out as a grimace. The man didn't falter. He probably knew there was no way I could truly smile right now.

I noticed someone behind him, but the man was in the way so I couldn't see his face.

"Hello Bella." the blonde man said. "I'm detective Cullen. But you can call me Carlisle." I nodded slightly in acknowledgement and turned back around in my seat to rest my chin on my knees again.

I heard footsteps sound behind me and soon enough Carlisle was sitting in the swivel chair behind the cherry desk. He gestured across the room. "Bella, this here is my son Edward. He will be joining us for today, as it's take-your-child-to-work day."

I didn't bother turning around to look at Edward. I didn't want to. I didn't care. I just nodded my head, desperate to get this over with.

The next two hours were filled with questions that I either didn't know how to answer, or I just didn't want to. There were some questions where I could just answer 'yes' or 'no', but they were rare. I decided not to tell them about my little stalker situation. I knew if I told someone, I'd be with Renee. Killing her was a warning to keep my mouth shut, or I'd end up with the same fate. Actually, I was already in for the same fate.

I sighed shakily. This was really happening. Renee was really dead. I was really in this office being interrogated.

My life was really on the line.

Carlisle must have noticed my shaky sigh, because he asked, "Bella? Are you alright?"

I shot him a look that said '_Are you really that fucking retarded? Being a detective, you should fucking know I'm the farthest thing from alright_'. He got the hint and continued to examine the folder in front of him. The questions shooting from his mouth eventually slowed. Maybe he finally realized he wasn't going to get shit out of me. Because I knew nothing.

I heard a sigh and looked up. Carlisle was getting up from his seat and gathering the contents of the folder. "Bella, we are going to take a break for a little bit. If you're hungry or anything, ask someone in the hall." I nodded and he walked behind me and out of his office door.

I sat there with my chin resting on my knees, my arms still locked around my ankles. My hair fell around me, but I did nothing to shake it away. How much time passed, I don't know. It could have been hours, minutes, or even seconds. It all felt the same to me.

"You're hiding something," came a velvet voice. I shrieked and jumped out of my chair turning around in circles, looking for the source. I caught someone sitting on a small couch across the room. He had striking green eyes and bronze hair. I didn't think a hair color like that was possible. He probably dyed it, hair that color just isn't natural.

I narrowed my eyes at him, despite his good looks. "Who are you?" I said quietly. His lips twitched, trying desperately not to smile. I glared even more at him.

"I'm Ed-ward." he said, splitting his name by the syllables. "My father, Carlisle, introduced us earlier. But I saw you didn't bother to look."

"Oh." I said softly. I turned back to my chair and curled back up into it. I rested my forehead against my knees, breathing deeply.

"You're hiding something," Edward said again. I sighed. Stupid detective's son.

"What makes you think that?" I tried bluffing. He saw right through it.

"You know what I'm talking about. You're hiding something. I can tell," he said fiercely. I sighed again. He was right, but I wasn't about to confess my secrets to some perceptive stranger.

"So what if I am? It's normal for people to hide shit in this god forsaken fucked up world." I mumbled. There was rustling over on the couch and then footsteps. They stopped in front of where I was sitting. I slowly looked up to find Edward standing in front of me, staring me down. I just shut my eyes and buried my face again. He sighed before sitting down in the chair next to mine that was identical to the one I was sitting in. Moments of silence passed before he finally spoke up again.

"Are you scared?"

I barked out a bitter laugh before lifting my head to stare at him. "Am I hiding it that well?" I asked sarcastically.

"Just answer me?" he said quietly. It sounded more like a question.

I laughed bitterly again, but it came out as a choked sob. "Yes, Edward, I'm scared. I'm scared out of my fucking mind. I had no idea someone was going to kill my mother, and I have the biggest instinct that I'm going to be next. If you really had to ask a question like that, you have no hopes of being a detective." Tears started to trickle down my face.

"I really don't want to be a detective." Edward said nonchalantly. "Personally, I want to be a doctor. I'd like to be saving people from death rather than wondering why they're dead."

I wasn't expecting him to say that. His comment actually pulled a chuckle out of me, but it was a very small one.

"So, if you want to be a doctor, why are you here?" I asked, trying desperately to change the subject away from myself and my secrets.

I think Edward knew what I was trying to do, but went along with it anyway. "I either had to choose between my detective father or my interior designer mother. Being a guy and all, I don't crave to be around fashion all day. That's more for my sister. Plus, take-your-kid-to-work day is a perfect excuse to get out of school." He chuckled after his last sentence.

My tears slowly came to an end as I felt a chuckle rumble through my chest. I was really laughing? Without trying to? "What's your sister like." I whispered, my face still buried in my knees. It sounded like a statement, not a question. But Edward got the point.

"Well, you know Tinkerbell, right?" I nodded, urging him to continue. "Well, imagine Tinkerbell with black hair and blue eyes. Minus the wings, and add obsessed with the latest fashion."

I giggled. "I'm assuming she takes after her mother, because that sounds nothing like Carlisle."

He coughed. "Well...um.." he stuttered. I brought my head up to look at him, confused.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You don't look like Carlisle either." He looked away and coughed again, rubbing the back of neck with his hand. My lips crawled upwards into a little smile. "Who's hiding something now?" He didn't say anything and after a while I continued. "You're adopted. So is your sister."

He nodded slowly. I stared at him, waiting for his explanation. He cleared his throat before talking. "Carlisle and Esme were close family friends with my parents. When I was about 18 months old, my parents decided to adopt Alice. She was 2 months old when they adopted her." He stopped. I tilted my head, and gestured with my hand for him to keep going. He sighed. "When I was 3 years old and Alice was 2, my parents got into a terrible car accident. My father died instantly. My mother was rushed to the hospital in a coma. She stayed in a coma for around 3 months until the doctors said there was hardly any chance of her waking up. So they pulled the plug." He sighed again, and his whole frame shook. I wanted to reach out and comfort him, but was afraid of his reaction. "In my parent's will, they stated that they wanted us to be taken care of by Carlisle and Esme. So that's who we went to."

"Wow," I whispered. I don't think I was loud enough for him to hear me. I took a deep breath to make my voice louder. "You were so young. Do you remember them?"

He looked to the floor and shook his head. "Carlisle and Esme are the only parents I've ever known. I only know about my real parents from what they've told me and the pictures I've seen."

I rested my cheek on my knee, sighing. "I'm sorry." I whispered.

He shook his head and brought his gaze back to mine. "No, I'm sorry. That's not something I normally spring on people I first meet. But, I thought you could use the distraction." He smiled. I smiled weakly and closed my eyes. We sat there in comfortable silence for a while.

Suddenly Edward spoke again. "Hey, Bella?" he whispered.

"Hmm?" I said in return, starting to drift into sleep.

"Why are you hiding something?"

I sighed and turned my head away from him, my eyes still closed. I was about to answer when Carlisle came bursting through the doors. "Bella! You should see this." He practically ran out the door again. I looked to Edward, then jumped up and walked quickly behind Carlisle.

He led me into a dark room, with a large table in the middle. There were plastic bags spread out all over, with objects in them. There were also several photographs. I walked slowly to the table, petrified of what I would see. I scanned the photos. Renee's neck. Her eyes. Nose. Stomach. Legs. Fingertips. Her whole body. The pool of blood in the bathroom. The trail of blood.

I then scanned the bags. Renee's diary. A pair of scissors. A bloody knife. A post-it note.

I froze. A post-it note. That could only mean one thing. I reached a shaky hand down to the bag with the post-it note in it. Lifting it up, I read the words written right across the middle.

**Bella****,**** honey, you're next.**

The bag fell from my hands as my body collapsed to the floor.

The last thing I heard was a velvet voice calling my name.

Then the world went black.

**A/N- Dun dun dun!**

**Well, we met Edward! What role will he play in this story?**

**Please, click that lovely green button and tell me what you think of this chapter!**

**~Ashleyy**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Well, finally! Here's Chapter 3. I'm sorry it took so long, this is the kind of story I just need to plan out or else everything will get jumbled and confusing.**

**Thanks to my wonderful beta, Truth in the Moon.**

**Enjoy chapter 3!**

_Chapter 3- Meltdowns_

_*Flashback*_

_I walked leisurely along the sidewalk, humming to myself. It was no song in particular, just random tunes._

_I started to think about the past week. Angela and I went to the bookstore yesterday and bought at least 20 books. Each. We laughed about how 20 books would keep us occupied for the next month or so. Both of us were such bookworms. I chuckle escaped my lips as I remembered us stumbling out the store in a fit of giggles._

_Mike asked me out on Tuesday. Again. I swear he asked me out at least once a month, if not twice. He was a nice boy and all, but I've seen the googly eyes Jessica gives him, and the daggers she gives me. I couldn't help but be amused at her protectiveness over someone who'd not even hers._

_Monday was nothing special. It was Monday, the beginning of the week. Yawn._

_Today, Thursday, we made plans to go to the beach tomorrow. Mike, Tyler, Eric, Jess, Angela, Lauren, Ben, Jacob and I were going to meet up at Tyler's house to carpool down to the beach. Living in Phoenix, it was always hot enough to go to the beach. We always made frequent visits, even in the middle of winter. During __autumn__ though, no one seemed to go. Except me._

_I went there by myself a lot, just to think. I would kick off my sho__e__s, walk to where the water would meet the sand, and let the water splash against my feet. Sometimes I stood there for hours, just staring at the ever-changing horizon._

_I pulled myself from my constantly rambling thoughts and walked to the front door of my house. I grabbed my keys from my back pocket, closing the distance between me and my house. The key slipped in quietly, turned, and then the door flew open with a push of my hand._

_I hung my keys on the set of hooks just inside the house. My bag stayed slung on my shoulder as I grabbed an apple from the fridge and raced upstairs. I burst through my bedroom door and threw my bag onto the bed against the wall, right under the window. There was a light 'click' as I hit the play button on my small radio. It blared out with the chorus of "Stop and Stare" by One Republic. I smiled to myself and walked lightly to my bed. This was my relax time, before Renee got home. Once she got here, I would be forced to start homework._

_The bed sagged as I plopped down into it. I started to sing along to the music, when I heard the rustle of paper under my head. Confused, I pulled myself up and felt the back of my head. Nothing. I turned to look at the spot where I was just lying._

_A post-it note._

_I laughed. Renee must have made a list of chores for me to do before she got home. I reached down and brought the paper closer._

_**I would say let the game begin, but this is far from a game.**_

_**Isabella Swan, this is your chance to live.**_

_*End Flashback*_

"No," I whispered while trying to roll to my side.

Big mistake.

My face came into contact with the floor in seconds. I groaned and tried to push myself up, but found I was already back into a sitting position on soft cushions. I groggily opened my eyes and found a striking pair of emerald eyes staring back at me.

"Bella? Are you okay?" Edward asked, worry filling his voice.

"If you're talking about my encounter with the floor, I'm fine," I said, scratching my head. "What happened?" I asked.

Edward took a deep breath and ran a hand through his bronze hair. "You read the note and passed out. After Carlisle and I made sure you didn't need medical attention, we brought you in here-his office-to rest until you woke up. I stayed in here to make sure nothing happened."

"Oh," I whispered. I looked down and bit my lip. This little performance was bound to arise a million more questions, all revolving around the note. I just had to figure out a way around them.

"Do you talk in your sleep?" Edward asked suddenly. He was sitting beside me on the couch now.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "I've been known to. Why?"

"You were talking while you were passed out," he said softly.

My hand came up to slap my forehead. "Shit. What did I say?"

He chuckled slightly. "It seemed you were having a good dream at first. You said something about going to the beach, 20 books, and some guy named Mike. Oh! And I think there was something about Jessica giving you daggers." I giggled a little at that. Then his face suddenly turned serious. "Then you got a horrified look on your face and said something about your chance to live." I looked away. I didn't want to see the look I would most likely find: pity. He wasn't having any of that. His hand came to cup my chin, forcing me to turn my head and stare him in the eye. "And a note. A post-it note."

I narrowed my eyes and stared at him. He stared back just the same. Neither of us blinked, or looked away. I nervously bit my lip but continued to stare. He was better at this than I was; I'm guessing because his father is a detective. I finally broke our staring contest and sighed in defeat.

"That note. The one that said I'm next," I whispered. "It's not the first of them."

Edward looked at me, his eyes wide and scared. "When did they start?" he asked quietly.

I shook my head. I couldn't answer him. I had said too much already. He reached for my wrist, stroking it gently. My wrist flinched at his touch, making Edward pull away.

"If I told you," I began. "Then-"

"You'd have to kill me?" Edward finished, grinning slightly.

"And me," I added. He raised an eyebrow, questioning my response.

"You'd have to kill yourself?" he asked slowly.

I barked out a bitter laugh. "No, they would kill me. And you." I didn't know what happened, but I couldn't stop myself. I kept talking, saying whatever came to my head, even though it was sure to get me killed. "They were planning on killing me anyway. All they wanted were my services, and my pain. They just wanted to drive me insane and make me do their bidding. Once they were done with me, they planned on getting rid of me. For good." I looked down, tears brimming on my lashes.

I heard Edward sigh next to me, but I didn't look over. "Who's 'they'?"

I fidgeted with my fingers and bit my lip. "I don't know," I whispered. My feet came up on the couch, and my hands locked together around my ankles, hugging my knees to my chest. "I've never seen them, except for the one I shot." His eyebrows shot up at this. "I thought it was just one person behind it all, that person. But I was wrong, so now I have no idea how many people are behind this. And that's why I'm here. Why my mother is dead. It's all my fault." I choked on my last sentence, the tears spilling over.

I felt soft fingertips ghost across my shoulder, then down my arm, and trail across the top of my hand. It was as if he was trying to find a way to comfort me without freaking me out. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Then it hit me. I just told him all of that. I really did just say all of that. Oh great. If I wasn't dead then, I was certainly dead now. Because I knew someone was watching. I bolted upright and out of my seat. I turned around to look at Edward. His eyes were confused, while my eyes were flicking around the room frantically.

"I...I can't believe I j-just t-told you t-that," I stuttered. My eyes shot towards the door and then back to Edward. "I-I have to g-go," I yelled as my feet bolted out the door, carrying the rest of my body with them.

I ran as fast I could, stumbling the entire way as the tears began to blur my vision. People called out to me as I ran, but I completely ignored them and kept running. One person eventually caught my arm as I was running. It was a man I didn't recognize, his eyes filled with concern. "Miss, why are you running? Are you alright?"

I glared at him through my tears, then yanked my arm away from him and kept running without bothering to answer. He called out to me, just like the rest of them. And I kept running.

This building was absolutely huge. I have no idea how long I ran, but I never seemed to find a door leading to outside the building. I ran down several flights of stairs, through hallways, through doors, and even _into_ doors. I whimpered a little as my head rammed into the door, but continued to run nonetheless.

Finally, _finally_, I ran into a large foyer with a semi circle desk plopped right into the middle. There was a large glass wall a few yards away from the desk, with glass doors built into it. I glanced at the receptionist lady who stared at me with wide eyes. My feet raced towards the door without a second thought.

As the humid Phoenix air hit me in the face, I tripped over absolutely nothing. Well, I guess I tripped over air. Once again, my feet refuse to cooperate with me when I need them most. I fell down to the pavement on my hands and knees, several feet from the crime investigation building or whatever. My body shook uncontrollably with my endless sobs, the tears creating a large wet spot on the cement.

I don't know how much time passed, but after a while a pair of hands grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into a sitting position. I strained through my tears to see a blob of bronze. My best guess was that it was Edward. He pulled me into his arms, stroking my hair gently.

When he spoke, I knew it was Edward. "Shhh, Bella. It's alright."

I only sobbed more, knowing he was wrong.

"Bella," he said my name sternly. He pulled away and forced me to look him in the eye. "You're not going to die."

I bit my lip, my vision still blurry from tears. "H-how can you b-be so s-sure of t-that?" I stuttered in between sobs.

He pulled me against him again and began to stroke my hair. "Because, Bella, I won't let it happen."

I buried my face into his chest, soaking his shirt. I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe him _so_ much. I wanted to think everything would be alright, that these detectives and scientists and other people would find the ones out to kill me. I wanted to think that my mother wasn't dead.

But it was all a lie.

I was going to die, I knew it.

And there wasn't a damn thing any of these people could do about it.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Be sure to review, like it or hate it. Haha.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own Twilight. But when I magically win the lottery and become rich, I'm going to buy it from SM. Psh, yea right.**

**A/N: Hi, readers! I'm sorry for the long wait. There's going to be quite a distance between updates, since school is now loving to get in my way. Ugh. I'm sorry about that. But, please keep reading and reviewing! They make my day.**

**Thanks to my wonderful beta, Truth in the Moon.**

**Now, here's your chapter!**

_Chapter 4- Bullet_

My hand trembled as I held the key to my escape. They couldn't kill me if I beat them to it, right?

Silent tears flowed down my face, soaking the carpet of the room they were letting me stay in. I wasn't allowed to go home; I had to stay in this giant fucking cop building or whatever you call them.

I looked around at the cozy sized room. It was the last thing I would see before I would be damned to hell. Before I pulled the trigger and a small bullet plunged right into my head, finishing me before I could even feel the pain.

The walls were cream and held a single bed with light blue sheets. A nightstand stood next to the bed with a lamp perched on top. This is all I have now, and it's not even mine.

The room became a blur as more tears filled my eyes. I raised the barrel to my temple, pushing it as hard as I could into me. Biting my lip, my finger brushed across the trigger. This is it. This is the end of it.

"Hey Bella." called a voice. The door swung open. "I-"

I gasped and dropped the gun, jumping back a foot.

There stood Edward, his eyes wide and his mouth gaping open. He took a hesitant step forward, as I took one back. "Bella, why?"

I ignored his question, my voice quivering as I spoke. "W-what are y-you d-doing here? T-take your kid t-to work day was t-two days ago."

He sighed and closed the door behind him. "I wanted to check on you. I hardly have anymore credits to earn, so I get to end my school day early." He took a small step forward, and this time I didn't move. He came closer, and eventually he was standing right in front of me. He gently took one of my hands, and held it in both of his.

"Bella, why would you try to kill yourself?"

I closed my eyes and hung my head. More tears spilled from my eyes, dousing the carpet again. "I-I'm going to die anyway. Why not get it over with n-now?"

"Bella, look at me." When I didn't move my head, his finger slid under my chin and forced me to look at him. "You aren't going to die. We're going to fix this."

I shook my head and let out a cry. I buried my face in my hands, my whole body racking with sobs. It was no use trying to speak; my words would come out incoherent anyways. I sniffed and let out another cry as more tears poured from me.

A gentle hand curled around my waist, then another at the crook of my legs. I was swung up into the air and carried bridal style across the room. I tried to see through my tears and saw the bed coming closer. Edward sat down on the bed, still holding me. He removed his hands, settling me on his lap. I turned my head towards him, his face blurry from the water in my eyes. He looked truthfully concerned. My bottom lip trembled again and more stupid tears spilled out.

Seeking comfort, I threw my hands around his neck and cried into his shoulder. His warm hands wrapped around my waist as he snuggled his face into my neck.

"You must think I'm a crybaby," I whispered.

I felt him smile against my neck, before he whispered back. "Not in the least, Bella."

"I'm soaking your shirt," I whispered as I pulled back to see a giant wet spot laying across his shoulder.

"Oh hush. That doesn't matter to me," he replied, placing a small kiss at the base of my neck.

So I stopped talking and continued to let him hold me while I quietly sobbed into his shirt.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**Carlisle's POV**

I had been up for around 52 hours, pretty much since I received this case, going over evidence. My eyes didn't droop once, keeping their focus on the task at hand. I had to save this girl. She was only seventeen, a year older then my little Alice.

I had found a bunch of shit about Renee, but nothing worth looking into. She divorced her husband around two years ago, and then left the small town of Forks they lived in. She took her daughter with her and came to Phoenix. They bought a house big enough for the two of them, and started their life over.

I could pull up shit from Renee's damn childhood if I wanted to, but I found nothing about her ex husband, Charlie. The only thing I conjured up was that he died about a week and a half after Renee and Bella left. According to his autopsy, he had over dosed on pills and killed himself. Probably super depressed about his wife and kid leaving him. Happens all the time.

I groaned and slammed my fist against my wooden desk. This was agonizing! By this point in a case, if I stayed awake all this time, I would at least have SOME lead. But I still had nothing. So much for being the best detective in the business.

I saw Edward brush past my office, hurrying down the hall. "Edward!" I called. He stopped and stuck his head into my office, smiling faintly. "Where are you going, son?" I asked.

"To get Bella something to drink," he answered.

"You came to see Bella?" I asked, a smile creeping onto my face.

His eyes sparkled slightly. "Yes," he said. "I came after school. I hope that's okay..?"

I chuckled. "Of course it's okay. Feel free to come by every day after school. She needs someone right now."

He smiled sadly and nodded, walking out.

I knew he had taken a liking to that girl, even on the first day. He freaked out when she collapsed from reading the note. He had barked at everyone to give her space and shooed them away as he flitted over her. His hands ghosted carefully over her body when he picked her up, and I knew instantly he would show up here at the office again. Nothing would stop him either. When he was determined, he was quite a force to be reckoned with.

Garrett, one of my co-workers, marched into my office with a manila folder in his right hand. He slapped it down onto my desk and plopped into one of the chairs across from my desk.

"What's this?" I asked carefully.

"Well, it looks like a folder to me." he said sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes. Garrett was famous for his sarcasm in the worst of cases. "Well, why don't you tell me what's in it?" I shot back.

He sighed and sat up straighter. "Well, I looked more into Charlie's autopsy," he started. I nodded, and he went on. "They said that the pills he downed were dissolved into water that he drank. They couldn't find anything linking it to a murder, so it was declared a suicide." His eyes narrowed slightly. "But you and I know better than that, right?" I stared hard at him and nodded. "The drink was poisoned. Charlie was killed."

He paused for a minute, thinking. "And if I didn't know any better, I'd say the people who killed Charlie also killed Renee," he finished.

I nodded. Then I added, "And want to kill Bella." I reached forward and opened the folder, shuffling through the papers inside.

"So, where do we start?" Garrett asked.

I gathered the contents of the folder Garrett gave me and the folder with the rest of the case in it. I pulled my suitcase from a drawer to my right and tossed the folders in, snapping the case shut.

I stood up and walked to my door, turning around to answer Garrett.

"Looks like we're taking a road trip. To a rainy town called Forks."

**Bella's POV**

"I've never seen you around before, who would've thought we went to the same school!" Edward exclaimed. I giggled.

"Well, it is a big school." I said quietly. "Around 5000 students, I think."

Edward chuckled and stared at me. I bit my lip and dropped my gaze.

After he had come back from getting me a drink (which I argued with him over; he insisted on getting it), Edward suggested we play a game. There was a deck of cards in the nightstand next to my bed, so we settled on playing a good old-fashioned game of Go Fish.

"Any 3's?" I asked.

He peeked over the top of his cards. "Nope, go fish," he grinned.

I sighed and picked a card from the deck laying delicately on my bed.

After a few more minutes of playing, I peeked at him over my deck. "Can I ask you something?" I said timidly.

His gaze traveled up to me, confusion clear in his eyes. "Sure."

"Why are you here?"

His expression turned to shock. "Do you not want me here? I can leave if you want..."

"No no!" I said quickly. He relaxed. "I'm just wondering why you care so much," I whispered.

Edward put his cards down on the bed and crawled towards my side to sit next to me. He put a gentle arm around my shoulders. I turned to look at him and was a little surprised at what I saw.

His eyes were full of sympathy, compassion, and hope. We had only known each other for about three days, and yet the look in his eyes said so much more than '_I hardly know you'_.

After a while, he finally spoke. "When I first walked into Carlisle's office, I saw how broken you looked. You didn't even have the strength to look at me. I didn't want you to feel so....vulnerable. I wanted to protect you so much." He dropped his gaze and added quietly, "I've never had an urge this strong to protect someone."

He let out a breath. He wanted to protect me. He wants me safe. I knew this could never happen, but it was nice to think it could.

I let my head rest on his shoulder as he rubbed my arm. He kissed my hair gently and laid his cheek atop my head. I sighed and closed my eyes, basking in his warmth.

And of course, my stomach had to ruin the moment by making an extremely loud gurgling noise.

A chuckle sounded from above me. I craned my neck to see Edward staring back at me, a small smile gracing his lips.

"Hungry?" he asked.

My face heated and I smiled sheepishly. "A little."

"I think your stomach would argue with that."

"Okay, okay, a lot," I said. He chuckled again.

Edward crawled around me to climb off the bed. I started to gather the mess of scattered cards, but a hand curled around my wrist and stopped me.

"Worry about those later," Edward ordered softly. "I'm taking you out for dinner."

"No no, you don't have to," I replied quickly. "We can just-"

"Bella," he interrupted me. "We're going out for dinner. You need some fresh air."

I nodded mutely. He was still holding my wrist, so he pulled my arm carefully, guiding me off the bed. His hand left my wrist and found the small of my back as he opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.

We made our way through endless corridors. Several people smiled and nodded along the way. At one point, we passed by Carlisle's office.

"Edward," he called.

Edward looked at me. We both shrugged and stepped into his office.

"Hello, son," Carlisle greeted warmly.

"Hi, Dad," Edward replied.

"What are you two up to?" Carlisle asked.

"Oh, just going out for some dinner," said Edward.

Carlisle's eyes narrowed a little, worry crossing his features. "Are you sure that's safe?" he asked. "Those people are still out there. And they're after you," he pointed at me.

Edward shifted nervously. "Um, well I didn't really think of that," he said honestly. "But I thought Bella could use some fresh air," he looked down.

Carlisle sighed then smiled sadly. "Just don't go far," he said.

Edward looked at his father and grinned. "Thank you, Dad." He placed his hand on my lower back again, leading me once more down the halls.

The front foyer finally came into view. The receptionist smiled at us as Edward held open the glass door to let me through.

"I thought we could go to this little restaurant called Eclipse," Edward said as we stepped into his Volvo. "It's about a two minute drive from here."

I nodded.

------5 minutes later-----

Edward had requested we sit at one of the small tables on the outside of the restaurant. It was a warm night, like any other night in Arizona. The waitress seated us and didn't give me a second glance. Her eyes were all over Edward.

"Can I get you some drinks to start off with?" she said all too sweetly. She was looking directly at Edward. I think she forgot I was here.

Edward looked to me and smiled crookedly. "What would you like, love?" The waitress snapped her head to me and glared when she heard the word _love_.

I caught on and smirked. "Just a coke, dear," I replied. I thought the waitress was going to rip the paper with how hard she was pressing the pen into it.

"I'll have the same," Edward said, not even looking at the waitress. She grumbled something incoherent and stomped off to the kitchen.

"I take it that happens a lot," I said.

Edward sighed. "More often than not," he replied sadly. "It's terribly annoying."

"Must drive your girlfriend crazy," I said quietly, looking down.

His laughter filled my ears. "It might, if I had a girlfriend."

I looked at him. His sparkling green eyes were full of amusement. "You don't have a girlfriend?" He simply shook his head. "That's....surprising."

"I don't think it is," he said, shrugging.

The waitress then came back with our Cokes, setting Edward's down gently and giving him a sickly sweet smile, while she slammed mine in front of me, spilling some on the table.

"Sorry," she spat. She turned to Edward and put on her flirty smile again. "Are you ready to order?" she asked.

We ordered our individual food and waited for the waitress to walk away.

"So, what's school like for you?" I asked. Ugh, what a stupid question.

"Well, it's not much," Edward stated. "I've got friends, I make good grades. I'm your average high school student."

"Hardly average," I muttered low enough for him not to hear.

"You know, now that I think about it, I think I have seen you around before," he said. "You were always so quiet. You walked through the halls with your head down and your hair covering your face."

"Yea, that was me," I said quietly.

"You used to be friends with Jessica," he said.

I froze. The situation on Jessica wasn't something I talked about with anyone. I was afraid of what would come out of my mouth, so I only nodded.

"Were you two friends when she died?"

I nodded again. This conversation was taking a turn for the worst. Before long, he would probably fire questions at me and figure everything out that he can't know.

Oh hell. I'm dying anyway. Shouldn't someone else know the truth?

"Edward," I started. "Jessica died bec-" The waitress then came with our food, interrupting what I was about to say.

"Thank you," I said to the rude waitress.

"Sure." she said coldly. Again, she turned to Edward and put on a smile. "Anything else?" she said in her sickly sweet voice. Edward shook his head, so the waitress turned on her heel and headed back inside.

"Now, what were you going to say?" Edward asked.

Damnit, I lost my nerve. "I-I forg-got," I stuttered. Coward.

We fell into an uneasy silence, picking at our food and trying to think of something to say.

A buzzing sound came from my right. It got closer with every second, and before I knew it, a soft plop came from my salad, lettuce leaves flying up.

"What the hell?" I muttered. Edward looked up from his food, raising an eyebrow as I dug through my salad with my fingers.

My finger found a small object that didn't feel like food. I raised it out to find a round pointed metal object. A bullet.

"Holy s-" Edward was cut off by another bullet flying into the table. I looked at Edward wide-eyed, but he was already up and dragging me with him.

"Car!" he yelled. More bullets came through the air, and screams erupted from the restaurant. Edward pushed my head downwards and put me in front of him. He hovered over me like a protective shell.

A sharp pain crashed into my right calf, a part that wasn't covered by Edward's body. I cried out in pain and crouched to grab my leg where the bullet hit. Edward stopped with me and bent down to inspect the damage. When I brought my hands back, they were splotched with blood.

"Can you run?" Edward asked hurriedly, as more bullets flew around us. I nodded and continued towards the Volvo. The pain was excruciating, but I bit my cheek and kept going.

Edward yanked his keys from his pocket and hit a button. Then he turned to me, "Bella, drive!" he yelled.

"What? Why?" I screamed.

"Just do it!" He threw the keys at me.

I caught them and yanked the driver door open. Edward jumped in as I shoved the key into the ignition. The doors closed and I slammed my foot on the gas pedal.

"Open the sunroof," Edward instructed as he fumbled for something in the glove box. Bullets plunged into the car, and I screamed. I opened the sunroof and tried to focus on driving, ignoring the searing pain in my calf.

Edward got up into a crouch, cradling a gun to his chest. He sprang out of the sun roof and shot three times then came back down.

"How far back are they?" I asked.

"A couple yards, now just shut up and drive, Bella!"

He sprang up again and shot four more times. I heard someone yell in pain before the screech of tires sounded behind me.

"That's right, bastard." Edward muttered. If we weren't in a deadly situation, I would have laughed.

More shots sounded, and bullets still pelted the car. One hit the back windshield, causing it to shatter.

"God damnit!" Edward yelled. He jumped back up and shot six times then came down. The firing ceased. A quick look in the rear view mirror told me they turned a corner.

"Gone?" I asked quietly, just to be sure. Edward nodded, situating himself back onto his seat.

"We're here. Pull in," Edward instructed. I pulled into a parking space in the lot of the detective building and killed the engine. Edward jumped out and walked around the car. He opened the driver's side door for me. My leg was absolutely roaring with pain by now, but I tried to ignore it as I stepped out of the car. I hissed when I put weight on my foot. I had taken all of two steps when my foot gave out and I went crashing towards the ground. I closed my eyes and braced for the impact.

It never came. A pair of strong arms closed around me, lifting me off the ground.

"Guess I'll have to carry you," Edward murmured, chuckling lightly. He nearly ran into the detective building while carrying me bridal style.

Carlisle was in the lobby as we came in the doors. "I heard the gunshots!" he exclaimed. He took one look at me and my bloody calf, and his eyes popped out of his head. A silent tear escaped me.

"It's alright," Edward assured me, "I can fix it."

He carried me into an empty room with a large table in the middle. After setting me gently on the table, he scurried out of the room. A few moments later, he came back with a large first aid kit and plopped it on the table. He rummaged through the kit, taking out a few things and closing it again.

"Let me see your leg," he instructed. I leaned back on my hands and bent my legs, so my wound was closer. He held my leg carefully, examining it.

"You're lucky," he commented. "The bullet didn't go very deep. It won't be hard to take it out."

"Will it hurt?" I asked.

"Yes," he admitted. "And you'll bleed. But don't worry, I'm right here."

He placed the tip of the tweezers at the beginning of my wound. I sucked in a deep breath and squeezed my eyes shut.

"Okay." Edward breathed. "One.....two......three!"

He quickly pulled the bullet from my leg as I let out a small scream. Blood rushed through the wound, so Edward grabbed the towel next to him and pressed it hard against my leg.

"Hold that," he said. I reached my hand to my leg and held the towel in place. Meanwhile, Edward was opening gauze and cutting some medical tape. He set it aside then hopped onto the table by my feet.

"We have to wait for the bleeding to slow," he explained. Gently, he placed his hand back on the towel, meaning I could take mine off.

But I didn't. My hand inched towards his. He closed the distance and began to stroke my knuckles.

"Thank you," I whispered.

Edward smiled and caught my gaze. His eyes bore into mine, making it impossible to look away. I bit my lip. He was the one to break the stare.

"I think the bleeding's slowed," he murmured quietly. He slid off the table, taking the bloody towel with him. I looked at my leg. There was a small hole in my calf, with peeling skin and dried blood all around it. I grimaced. Gross.

Edward took a wipe from the kit and began to wipe away the dried blood. His thumb ghosted over my skin, trailing behind the wipe his other fingers held. Once the dried blood was off, he set the wipe down and picked up a tube of something. He squirted a gel substance on his fingertips then gently spread it on my wound. Next, he put the gauze on my leg and held it with one hand while picking up the medical tape in the other. He put the tape securely over the gauze, sliding his fingers over it several times.

Once he finished, he bent down and placed a tender kiss on the skin just above the gauze. My breath hitched, causing him to smile.

"All better?" he purred. I nodded. He began cleaning up the first aid supplies, throwing the trash in the trash can and the other supplies back in the box. The kit snapped shut, and Edward turned to me.

"Ready to go back to your room?" he asked. I nodded and began to get off the table.

"Oh, no you don't," Edward said, snatching me up in his arms bridal style. I locked my arms around his neck and let him carry me to my room.

As we reached my door, Carlisle called down the hall. Edward turned with me still in his arms. Carlisle walked the distance between us.

"I'm sorry, Bella," Carlisle started, "but after this incident, you can't leave the building." I sighed. I had really enjoyed the fresh air.

"Son," Carlisle said, speaking to Edward. "I'm going on a trip with Garrett for the case. Kate has been assigned to care for Bella."

"Can I still come to see her?" Edward asked.

"Of course, son," Carlisle assured him. "But no skipping school and your grades better not slip."

Edward nodded.

"I don't know how long I'll be gone," Carlisle continued, "but you still have Esme. Goodbye, Bella. Goodbye, son, love you." He started down the hallway.

"Wait," I called. Carlisle turned to me. "Where are you going?" I asked.

"Forks," was his answer. Before I could respond, he was down the hallway and through a door.

"Forks," I repeated in a whisper. "Dad."

"Your father lives there?" Edward asked.

"He did," I answered. "Before he died."

"Oh Bella, I'm so sorry."

I closed my eyes for a moment then opened them and put on the best smile I could. "Let's just go in my room. I've still got to kick your butt in Go Fish."

Edward gave me a sad smile, then pushed open the door and brought me inside. He kicked the door closed and set me on my bed. I gathered up my cards and sat cross-legged. He did the same.

"Now where were we...." he trailed off. "Fours?"

"Dang it," I said. I took out my four and threw it at him. It hit him right between his eyes.

"Hey!" Edward yelped in surprised. I giggled.

"That's what you get for taking my four!" I taunted. He laughed and nudged me with his foot.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I yawned loudly. Edward chuckled then set his cards down on the bed. "Tired?" he asked.

"Yea" I admitted. "I guess it's time for bed."

He chuckled and gathered all the cards, making them into a nice neat stack. Meanwhile, I reached under the bed and grabbed my pajamas, heading for the bathroom right next to my room.

Once I was in there, I quickly stripped of my clothes and threw on my pajamas. I ran a brush through my long chocolate hair and brushed my teeth. I gathered up my discarded clothing and walked next door.

I dropped my clothes in a heap on the floor then plopped onto my bed. Edward was still sitting on the bed but stood up once I sat on it.

"Well..." he trailed. A ran a hand through his hair and looked around the room. "I'll see you tomorrow." He leaned down, placing a small kiss on my temple. "Goodnight, Isabella."

He turned on his heel to go, but my hand shot out and snatched his wrist. "No," I whispered. He turned around, confused. "Don't leave," I begged him. "Not tonight. Please." The desperation was clear in my voice, and I didn't give one damn about it.

A little smile spread across his face. He walked back over to the bed, and I scooted over to give him room. He lay down on top of the covers like me, since it was too hot to sleep with covers on, and turned out the lamp on the nightstand. Then he faced me, putting an arm over my waist and pulling me to him. I closed my eyes and sighed, laying my head on his chest. I felt his soft lips press to my hair, then his cheek atop my head.

"Goodnight, Isabella," he murmured.

"Goodnight, Edward," I whispered.

I drifted off to sleep, surrounded by the intoxicating smell that was Edward.

**A/N: Please review! Reviews make me happy and keep me writing.**

**~Ashleyy**


	5. Important, Please Read

**PLEASE READ.**

**Hi everyone, this is Ashley. I'm sorry to tell you that I won't be updating either of my stories for a while. I want to be able to have regular updates, which means I have to write multiple chapters. I'm also working on a detailed outline for each story so that I can see where I'm taking both of my stories. I know you, my readers, are probably peeved at me right now. But trust me, it will be worth it when you can have an update once a week, maybe even twice. The chapters will be better as well, because they won't be rushed. So, between school and immersing myself into my writing, I will disappear off the face of the earth for a while. That is, besides reading and reviewing the stories I'm reading.**

**So please be patient with me, it'll be worth it.**

**Oh, and when I come back to life, keep a look out for a new story I'm also working on called Shattered Photographs.**

**So, you can review this author's note and tell me off, or give me support, or anything. You can PM me too if you want, if you have any personal suggestions on anything.**

**Peace out. Bear with me.**

**~Ashleyy :-)**


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